| Online and distance learning is the new kind of | | | | Another vital characteristic for online and distance |
| education that is growing immensely all over the world. | | | | education students is very good reading and |
| It is the kind of learning that is done over the internet | | | | comprehension abilities. Although there are some |
| across different countries and even across different | | | | lessons that are covered by video lectures, most of |
| continents. Students who want to learn on a flexible | | | | the learning will still be through reading a lot of written |
| schedule, such as professionals already involved in | | | | text. Thus, students who learn best by taking notes in |
| regular jobs, often prefer online learning over the | | | | class and asking questions from a lecturer will probably |
| traditional type of classroom and face to face learning | | | | not do well in an online and distance education setting. |
| which account for the increasing popularity of this kind | | | | Students who want to try online learning should also |
| of educational program. | | | | have a very high sense of focus that enables them to |
| However, partly because of its fairly early stage of | | | | shake off distractions easily. Studying an entire course |
| development, online and distance learning has not yet | | | | at home means that there will be a lot of times when |
| been structured to fit everyone. There are a few | | | | family members and children could easily become |
| basic attributes that one must possess to be better | | | | interruptions in learning. There will also be times that |
| suited at learning through online classes. | | | | turning on the tv and enjoying the live broadcast of a |
| The most important characteristic that is needed to | | | | game could be very alluring. All of these disturbances |
| succeed in distance education is the ability to stay | | | | should be easily filtered out by a student who wants to |
| motivated and focused on a task without the need for | | | | be successful at completing a course online. |
| external encouragement from others such as a | | | | Lastly, online students should also understand that one |
| teacher or classmates. An online education student | | | | of the biggest differences between an online class and |
| must be able to motivate himself, set his own goals, | | | | traditional face to face class is the element of social |
| and track his own progress. | | | | interaction. Online and distance learning set-ups provide |
| A successful online student should also be very | | | | very little of this element because there are no such |
| aggressive and very zealous in completing his online | | | | things as a school dance, a varsity game, or even a |
| assignments and projects. Procrastination will never | | | | student government and elections in this kind of |
| work well in online and distance education. It is true that | | | | educational program. Online and distance learning |
| online learning lets students work at their own pace | | | | students should be able to satisfy this part of |
| and on their own time, which many take to mean that | | | | education on their own: either by having extracurricular |
| procrastinating is ok. However, this would also mean | | | | activities outside the online learning structure, or by |
| that several months or even years would probably be | | | | being able to discuss and expound on what they are |
| added to the total time that the student will need to | | | | learning with their friends and coworkers. |
| complete the course. | | | | |